Three of a Kind
by Cougar'sCatnip
Summary: Jensen comes home to find Cougar with a real dilemma on his hands.
1. Chapter 1

Three of a Kind.

By CC.

Jensen struggled to get his keys out without dropping all the groceries. He unlocked the door to the apartment and shoved it open with his hip. As he walked through the door he spotted Cougar on the couch with an odd look on his face. Jensen stopped abruptly, the sniper looked as if someone had sucker punched him. He set the bags down on the counter and crossed to the chair. He sat down and studied his friend. He quickly grew alarmed when Cougar didn't acknowledge him. He leaned over and laid a tentative hand on his arm. "Cougs? You ok buddy? What's wrong?"

Cougar blinked and turned a blank gaze on the hacker.

"Come on man, your scaring me here. Did somebody die? Talk to me bro," he demanded.

Cougar cleared his throat. "I…," he paused unsure where to start. "I need your help."

Jensen nodded. "Anything you need. You know that."

"I need a phone or email address that can't be traced back to us, but I have to keep in contact with Alexa."

Jensen frowned. "I thought you decided not to see her anymore. You said she was getting clingy."

Cougar blushed. "I did but things have gotten ... complicated."

Jake cocked his head. "Complicated how?"

Cougar's eyes darted to the side and he shifted uneasily in his seat.

Jensen waited until Cougar met his eyes with a look that held a mixture of fear and some unidentified emotion. "No es un bebé por venir."

Jensen froze not sure if he had heard correctly. "You wanna run that by me again?"

Cougar blushed deeper. "A baby. She is having my baby, Jake."

"Are we happy about this?" Jensen asked cautiously.

He watched as one corner of Cougar's mouth twitched in a slight, tentative smile.

Jensen threw his head back and laughed. He jumped up and pulled the sniper into a hug as he pounded his back. "Congrats man!" His smile was brilliant and his blue eyes sparkled with delight. "This is so cool. I'm gonna be an uncle again!" He thought about it for a minute and then asked. "How much are we telling Clay and Pooch?"

"Mierda, hermano, I can barely wrap my mind around this and now you want me to do advanced tactical planning?" Cougar pulled away and paced five steps across the room and five back. He ran his fingers through his hair and now his expression was back to that unidentified look. "I don't know. She says she will have the baby, but isn't sure she wants to raise it." He turned a stricken gaze to Jensen.

"Lo siento. Don't worry, we'll figure it out." He shot the sniper a speculative look. "Cougar… Carlos. What do you want? Do you want her to give the baby up for adoption?" The revulsion that crossed the sniper's face was all the answer he needed. "Got ya. Ok, so _we_ are gonna be raising a baby."

Cougar smiled again and Jake knew that had been the right answer.

A/N ~ I do have some more ideas for this story, just not sure if I should continue. What do you think?

~ CC


	2. Chapter 2

Three of a Kind Ch. 2

Alexa, Cougar and Jensen stepped out of the attorney's office and headed for the car. Cougar clutched the precious surrogate agreement and power of attorney in his hands. He looked down at the papers and then at his companion. "Gracias, Jake."

Jensen smiled. "De nada."

Alexa had been ridiculously easy to talk into the agreement after one trip to the doctor. The faint echo that turned out to not be an echo at all had convinced her that at 21 she would rather be at a club doing the bump and grind with a sexy cowboy then raising babies. Cougar just thanked God she believed that it was a child not a choice. As she had put it when they talked about options, the time for choices was when she had slipped into his bed not when consequences caught up with them. After Bolivia every child was precious and he wasn't sure he could have lived with it if she had chosen differently. So now she would carry the child and when it was born Cougar would have full custody and she would give up all parental rights. Jensen was listed as his "domestic partner" with a power of attorney, so that if anything ever happened to either of them the child was protected. Clay had kicked up a fuss at first but Jensen had stared him down and finally he had settled down and become resigned to the situation. They rented a house, and moved in just before Christmas. Jensen set up a trust fund and now they just had to wait.

While Alexa's pregnancy was horrible, she couldn't have asked for a more attentive partner and Cougar and Jensen did their best to make things easier for her. One or the other and sometimes both went to every appointment and were with her every step of the way and not a day went by that she didn't realize that she had made the right decision. Cougar was going to make a fabulous father and she… well as she had told Jensen late one night over a shared bowl of ice cream, she was just not parent material and planned to ask the doctor to make sure this could never happen again. As the winter progressed she grew larger and more uncomfortable and then came the appointment that sent everyone into a tailspin.

_Cougar sat down in the chair with a thump, his eyes wide and he stared at Jensen who was grinning at him madly. He turned back to the doctor. _"¿Perdoname?"

_The doctor smiled gently and directed his attention back to the sonogram. "Right here you can see it. See the second shadow there? And if you listen carefully you can hear the second heart beat. It's not an echo. She is carrying twins. Congratulations Mr. Alvarez. _

_Jensen… the fucker… just threw his head back and laughed. _

_Cougar shot him a glare. "You are not helping, Jensen." He smacked his partner's arm. _

_Jensen just smirked at him and Cougar knew he was in for some serious teasing once they were out of the doctor's office. "So doc, can you tell if they are boys or girls?"_

_The doctor studied the sonogram carefully. "Well it's not exact you understand but it looks to me like this one is a boy, and I think that one is a girl which would make them fraternal, not identical twins. However it is very difficult to tell so this is just a guess."_

_Alexa grinned at Cougar. "Have I told you today I am so glad you're the one who is gonna be doing this?" She winked at him. _

_Cougar just grinned back at her and brushed a chaste kiss over her forehead. "__Gracias __por __mis __hijos__."_

_Jensen bounced. "I __got dibs on that lil princess!" He paused for a moment. "Hey we need to pick names out for the cubs." He smiled at the look of quiet happiness that settled on Cougar's face. _

"Cougs we have an appointment with the nanny service at two. You two wanna go get some lunch first?" Jake slowed his steps to allow Alexa to catch up.

She shook her head. "I can't I am meeting my friends from work. Thanks for the invitation though. I will catch up with ya'll later." She smiled and kissed them both on the cheek.

Cougar kept one hand on her elbow and helped her into the car. "Drive safely. We will see you later."

She waved and drove off.

"How about El Tejano? I am in the mood for enchiladas." Jake said.

Cougar nodded and they walked the short distance to the restaurant. They ordered and Cougar read over the papers again hardly daring to believe that it was all real and not some dream he would wake up from.

For once Jensen sat quietly and just watched Cougar with a smile. He sipped his beer and relaxed while the sniper processed the morning's events.

At last Cougar looked up with a sheepish grin. "Lo siento."

"Don't apologize. You have a lot to think about and I am about to give you something else to think about. Once the cubs are born we should move away from here, and I think we should buy a house. They are gonna need a stable environment and we need a base of ops."

Cougar considered that for a moment. "Si, eso tiene sentido. ¿Dónde?"

Jensen smiled. "Anywhere you want. Any preferences? We could go back to Texas so you're close to tu famila."

Cougar grinned as Jake slipped into Spanglish like he himself often did. "Or New Hampshire."

"Donde tu quieras, hermano." Clay really doesn't _need_ us following him around. He can always call and we can meet the team."

Cougar nodded. "Si. Let's see what is avaliable and then choose."

"Sounds good to me. Write down some cities you want me to check and I will brouse the realitors and get some idea of what kinda of property we want.

They finally settled on a farmhouse in New Hampshire set on 25 acres of land. The property was large enough to house the entire team and had several outbuildings as well including a stable. The sale went through shortly before the twins were due and just like that they were home owners. Jensen and Cougar settled into a frantic pace of preperation and Pooch teased them about nesting. Aisha just shook her head in bemusment and Clay was finally starting to show signs of approval. Jensen called him gramps to which he mock growled but behind it he could see the idea was not that unwelcomed.

Finally the house was ready and it was back to waiting

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A/N ~ My deepest thanks to Alex and Tellygirl my betas. Your encougement and support means the world to me. Gracias!

Once again my utmost thanks to Damaduende for her translations.

"¿Perdoname?" – Excuse me?

"_Gracias __por __mis __hijos__." – Thank you for my children._

Lo siento." – I'm sorry.

"Si, eso tiene sentido. ¿Dónde?" - Yeah, that makes sense. Where?

tu famila – Your family

"Donde tu quieras, hermano." – Where ever you want, brother.


	3. Chapter 3

Three of a Kind Ch. 3

"So do you have any ideas for names for the cubs?"

Cougar smiled. "I have picked a name for her."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"Jacqueline Estrella, but I haven't thought of anything for mi hijo."

"I think we should name him Ángel Carlos." Jensen paused. He set the knife he had been chopping vegetables with down on the cutting board and moved the salad bowl closer. He tossed everything in the bowl and handed it to Cougar.

"Ángel Carlos y Jacqueline Estrella. Si, es bueno."

"Cougar, once the cubs are born, we need to plan a trip to Texas. Tu famila will want to meet them, and I know you miss them."

"Si." Cougar put the salad in the fridge and grabbed two beers. He handed one to Jensen and leaned against the counter watching him put together the rest of the meal.

Jake slid the lasagna into the oven and set the timer. "There, dinner in an hour which gives you plenty of time to tell me what's bugging you." He snatched his beer on his way into the living room. He dropped down into one of the overstuffed chairs and put his feet up on the coffee table. He pointed to the couch and took a sip of his Tecate.

Cougar sat down slowly and ducked his head, hiding his face behind the brim of his hat while he thought about how to put his feelings into words. "Why are you doing this for me?"

Jensen grinned. "You're my best friend, Alexa is a sweet girl but not momma material and you want the cubs. Why wouldn't I?" He took another pull on his beer. "Hell, Cougs, it's not like I am ever gonna have some long term relationship with anyone outside the team. And…" he paused and then said quietly, "after Bolivia, it's nice to help bring life into the world rather than take it out, ya know?"

Cougar just nodded. "But…,"

"Carlos, let me make this easy for you ok? One, since when have I ever given a fuck what people think? Two, anyone worth having a relationship with is not gonna be freaked out by labels like domestic partner and three, anyone who wants me is gonna have to deal with us, and that includes not only the team but the cubs as well. So chill dude and stop worrying about it."

Cougar was about to respond when his cell phone rang. He held up a hand and dug it out. "Hola Alexa…. QUE? Ahora? ¡Madre de Dios! Estamos en el camino! Nos vemos allí! ... Lo siento, lo siento. We are on our way. Meet you there." His hands shook as he put the phone away and turned to his partner, eyes wide with barely controled panic. "It's time."

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A/N : A special thank you to my betas, Alex, DeckerM and Tellygirl. Ladies I couldn't do this without you. Thank you so much for your help and encouragement. ;)

Ángel Carlos y Jacqueline Estrella. Si, es bueno - Angel Carlos and Jacqueline Estrella. Yes, that's good.

Hola Alexa…. QUE? Ahora? ¡Madre de Dios! Estamos en el camino! Nos vemos allí! ... Lo siento, lo siento. - Hello Alexa ... What? Now? Mother of God. We are on the way (literally on the road). We will meet you there... Sorry, Sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

Three of a Kind – Ch 4

"Hello?" Pooch held the phone away from his ear and stared at it in amazement as a flood of unintelligible … babble assaulted his ear. He cautiously listened making out about one word in ten. It wasn't until the caller slowed down a bit and he realized it was Jensen that he figured out what his teammate must be saying. "WHOA! Dude, slow down. Are you telling me it's time?" He grinned at the torrent of information. "Ok go make sure the bags are packed and get the car seats ready. And JJ, don't let Cougar try and drive or he's liable to wreck the car. I'll come get ya, ok? I'll be over there in a few minutes." He put the phone down and chuckled. At Jolene's quizzical glance he smiled. "The twins are on the way."

She smiled back and gave him a kiss. "Go, before either of those idjets hurts themselves. I'll come by the hospital later. Oh and Lin, make sure that if they have anything in the oven you turn it off. I'll call Clay and let him know."

Pooch laughed out loud at the identical expressions of panic that greeted him once he got to Jensen and Cougar's rented duplex. The two were pacing back and forth on the front lawn, their gear and two car seats stacked up next to the walk. He parked the car and climbed out. Cougar and Jensen converged on him, each of them talking a mile a minute. Cougar in rapid fire Spanish and Jensen in a weird hodgepodge of Jensenese and the Spanglish he had fallen into living with Cougar. While Pooch wasn't near as fluent in Spanish as Cougs or Jensen he was able to get the gist of what they where saying. "Guys, it's gonna be hours before they're born so just relax. You got everything? Is the oven turned off? Water not running etc." He snickered as Jensen abruptly stopped talking and ran back into the house. Cougar however kept babbling away in Spanish. Pooch just grinned. This was the most he had heard the sniper talk in years, but as what he was saying finally sunk in Pooch stopped smiling. "¡Es demasiado pronto! ¡Pooch, es la manera en breve! ¡Sé que los gemelos suelen ser prematuros, pero esto es demasiado pronto!"

"Cougar! English dude. How far along is she?"

The sniper blinked and thought for a moment. "Thirty-two weeks. She is eight weeks early."

"Ok, that's not good but she has an excellent OB, so calm down. You're not gonna be any use to her if you worry yourself sick, ok?"

Jensen rejoined them, worry clear on his face. "Everything is locked up and the lasagna is in the fridge. Ready to go. Hurry Pooch." He threw everything in the back seat and climbed in after the gear. "Come on! ¡Vamos!"

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Alexa looked up in relief as Cougar and Jensen came through the door. "They've been trying to stop my labor, but it's not working," she informed them. Cougar crossed to the bed and took her hand dropping a kiss on her forehead.

He collapsed onto the chair beside her. "What are the doctor's saying? Are the niños all right?"

She nodded. "Their heartbeats are strong but it's way to early. Dr. Carmichael says we need a few more weeks. They're mostly concerned with how developed their lungs are…Carlos, I'm scared." She looked up and saw Jensen was still standing in the doorway looking uncertain. "JJ, get in here. You're a part of this too."

He smiled and came to sit on the other side of the bed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Hang in there. It'll be ok. The doc is gonna take good care of you." He reached in his backpack and pulled out a deck of cards. "Now, how about a game of Blind Man's Bluff?"

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As the hours passed they started to relax thinking the crisis was over, but then her labor began in earnest and this time there was no stopping it. Through it all Jensen kept their spirits up regaling them with wild tales. His voice became a soothing backdrop for not only Cougar and Alexa but for the hospital staff that came and went. When they finally moved her into the delivery room his voice faltered until Cougar reached out and dragged him along into the changing room and handed him a pair of scrubs. "Y tu, hermano."

The doctor allowed Cougar to catch each of his children as they came into the world and Jensen cut their cords, but they were only allowed to hold the twins for a brief moment before they were whisked off to the neonatal ICU.

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Cougar and Jensen stood staring through the window as the twins were worked over by a team of doctors and nurses. The serious expressions of the doctors did nothing to alleviate the fear in their hearts as the babies struggled to breathe.

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Jensen stopped in the doorway to the chapel, not wanting to disturb Cougar.

The sniper knelt in front of the altar, hands clasped and head bowed in fervent prayer. "¡Por Favor, Padre Todopoderoso, por favor, deja que mis ángelitos vivan! No puedo perderlos. ¡Por favor Señor!"

Jensen bowed his head and added his own silent plea. He softly cleared his throat. "Carlos? They said we can see them now and they're even going to let us hold them for a while."

Cougar crossed himself and lit a candle before standing. He settled his hat back on his head and headed out the door, pausing for a moment to squeeze Jensen's shoulder in gratitude. "Gracias. Vamos."

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A/ N

"Por Favor, Padre Todopoderoso, por favor, deja que mis ángeles vivan. No puedo perderlos. Por favor Señor" ~ "Please, Almighty Father, please let my little angels live. I can't lose them too. Please Lord."

Gracias. Vamos." ~ Thank you. Let's go.

Thank you to my betas Alex, DeckerM and Tellygirl and to Damaduende for her translations.


	5. Chapter 5

Three of a Kind ~ Ch. 5

Cougar sat in a rocking chair surrounded by equipment he had no names for, but all his attention was focused on the two babies nestled safely in his arms. They were so very small, his ángelitos. He held them gingerly, afraid to even move for fear of dislodging the tubes attached to their bodies. Ángel was slightly bigger than his sister. His dark eyes were open and he stared solemnly at his father. Cougar stared back fascinated by the wonder of this new life. Jacqueline was sleeping peacefully, her eyelashes a sooty fan against her tiny cheek. Jensen leaned over his shoulder and brushed a gentle finger along the silken cheek, and smiled as the baby turned her head into his touch. "So precious," he whispered softly. "Cougar they're beautiful. Has Alexa held them yet?"

Cougar shook his head. "No, she says she doesn't want to. She is afraid I think to love them."

Jensen sighed. "I can understand that. Maybe it's for the best if she doesn't, but it's still sad ya know?"

Cougar nodded. "Would you like to?" he offered. He grinned at Jake's excited acceptance.

Jensen pulled up a second rocker and gently took Jacqueline into his arms. He sat back and smiled down at the little one. She stirred and blinked, her small mouth opening in a yawn. She stretched and he marveled at how her head fit in the palm of his hand. He lifted her up and looked into her eyes. "Hola sweetheart. Welcome to the world." He laughed softly at the expression on her face when she looked back at him as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

The nurse came up with two bottles and both men settled in to the all-important task of feeding hungry bellies.

Alexa looked through the window at the basinets. She leaned against Cougar for a moment. "What the hell am I suppose to say, Carlos?" She paused and ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Thank you." She smiled at his startled expression. "What? You thought I hated this and you? No. I'm glad I could give you something so wonderful." She pressed a soft kiss on his lips. "It's been an honor getting to know you and Jake. You're going to be the best dad ever, and I am _so _glad I met you."

He held her tight for a minute longer, trying to show her how grateful he was. "You're a rare woman, and I wish you all the happiness you deserve." He let her go and stepped back fighting to maintain composure. "Ve con Dios, Alexa." He brushed a hand over her cheek and watched as she turned and walked out the door.

That night Alexa clutched her pillow to her flattened stomach and sobbed until her eyes where swollen and her throat was raw. Tomorrow she would pick up her life and go make something of it, but tonight she mourned the loss of something precious.

Five days after the twin's birth Jensen returned from a bathroom run to find Cougar in the hall watching in dazed horror as the doctors frantically worked over Jacqueline's tiny body. He grabbed Cougar and pulled him into a rough hug against his chest. He held on, giving the sniper an anchor to cling too, steadfastly focusing his attention on his partner and refusing to allow his mind to dwell on the chaos in the nursery. "Cougar come with me." He turned them away from the window and steered his friend to a waiting chair. "Look at me… damn it Carlos, _look_ at me!" he demanded. "What happened?" He took in the look the sniper gave him and cursed. "NO! It is _not_ the same, damn it!" He dragged Cougar to his feet and herded him down the hall to the bathroom. They barely made it to a stall before he lost the battle and his lunch. Jensen tucked Cougar's ponytail down the back of his shirt and stepped away to give him a bit of privacy. He waited patiently… not thinking damn it… until his friend was done and then handed him wet paper towels to clean up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone,hit the speed dial and bounced impatiently until it was answered. "Clay, we need you at the hospital…. Ok see you in a few." He shut the phone and leaned against one of the sinks while Cougar splashed water on his face.

"Lo siento…" he began.

"Stop it! Don't you dare fucking apologize! Now what the fuck happened?"

"I was burping her and she let out this gasp and then she was turning blue and…" he paled. "Madre de Dios. "Yo lastimé a mi hija? Yo hice esto?"

Jensen reached out and shook him. "Damn it, I said stop going there. You don't know that! You know the doctor said there could be complications. So just wait for the fucking facts before you start shouldering blame. Come on, let's go sit down. Clay will be here soon and he can bully them into telling us what's happening."

Clay hit the door with a stiff arm and bulled his way through the halls as if on a search and destroy mission. The hospital staff and visitors took one look at his face and intelligently got out of his way. He stepped into the waiting room to find his men huddled together on the couch. Cougar leaned against Jensen with a blank expression and Jensen's face was pinched and worried. He looked up at Clay with relief. Clay crouched down next to them. "Report."

"God, I don't know, boss. I got back from the latrine and they were working on her. They haven't told us anything and I kinda got my hands full here ya know?" He made a subtle gesture towards the older man.

Clay nodded. "Wait here and I'll see what I can find out."

"Hang on!" Jensen jumped up. "Stay with him a minute, boss." He dashed out of the room and snagged a passing nurse's sleeve. He whispered something to her. She nodded and he thanked her and returned to the waiting area. "Ok. Clay we'll be in the small nursery. Cougar, come on." He led the way to the small room and pushed Cougar down in a rocking chair. He smiled at the nurse as she entered the room with Ángel in her arms. He took the baby with a nod and placed him in Cougar's arms and handed him a bottle. Jensen grinned, as if on cue the baby let out a wail that shook the sniper out of his daze. "He's hungry Cougs, feed him."

The nurse smiled "Good thinking," she murmured and left the room.

He waited with Cougar quietly sitting and steadfastly keeping his mind focused here and now ... later he could... later. He looked up hopefully when Clay entered the room, then grimaced when the Colonel shook his head slightly. "All they would say is that they have it under control and the doctor will come talk to us once they have her stabilized."

Cougar fed Ángel and changed his diaper, then sat back down and rocked his son until they both slipped into a doze, Ángel held firmly against his chest. Jensen finally couldn't sit still a second longer and slipped out to pace the waiting room. It was there that Pooch and Jolene found him. Jolene wrapped him in a hug and held on tight. "How are they?" Pooch asked.

"Cougar is in the nursery with Ángel and Clay. We don't know about Jacqueline. They haven't said anything but they have it under control. We don't even know what's wrong!"

"Oh honey, are you ok?" Jolene asked.

Jensen shot her a look. "Of course, I'm fine." He flushed at her raised eyebrow and ducked his head. "Really, I'm fine. Just…," he shook his head and gently eased out of her grip. "Come on. Everyone's in here." He led the way to the small nursery.

Pooch shook his head. "That man is so not fine you could beat him with a wet noodle."

Jolene nodded. "Let it go Lin and just watch him for now. He's coping by being strong for Cougar. He can have his melt down after all this is over and then we can be there for him."

Pooch glanced over at her. "Did I ever tell you how lucky I am to have such a smart wife?"

She smiled.

Another hour passed before the doctor appeared in the doorway of the nursery. He stopped uncertainly, clearly not expecting to see the whole team crowded into the small room. "Mr. Alvarez?"

Cougar stood and passed Ángel to Jolene. "Si?" He braced himself and Jensen moved up next to him, a silent support.

"First let me reassure you. Jacqueline is stable for the moment." He smiled as they all breathed a sigh of relief. "She isn't out of the woods yet," he cautioned. "But we were able to re- inflate her lungs."

Cougar shuddered. "Did I do this? Did I hurt her?"

The doctor shook his head. "No sir, you did not. As you know preemies often have trouble with underdeveloped lungs, hers collapsed but it wasn't anything you did or didn't do."

Cougar dropped into the rocker and put his head in his hands. Jensen squeezed his shoulder. "Can we see her?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, but please realize she is sedated right now, so you can't hold her. If you will follow me."

Cougar stood over the bassinet and shivered. His hija looked so frail with tubes running from her mouth to a ventilator and her hands restrained so she couldn't pull the IV out. This was an enemy he could not fight and it scared him more than any mission he had ever undertaken. He reached down and gently brushed a finger over her cheek. "Vivi mi niña querida. Por favor, te necesito," he whispered.

Jolene was the first to notice that Jensen had slipped away. She looked around for him but he was nowhere in sight. She caught Pooch's attention. "Go see if Jake is in the bathroom."

He came back in a few minutes. "No sign of him."

She chewed her lip. "You need to find him, baby. He shouldn't be alone right now. I'll stay with Cougar. You and Clay go find Jake."

Jensen settled into a rhythm on the heavy bag. He poured all his energy, fear and fury into each punch. Sweat streamed down his face stinging his eyes and mingling with the tears that suddenly he couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped back and stripped off his shirt wiping the tears away and tossed it off to the side where he had set his glasses. A snicker from one of the nearby group watching him caught his attention. "You got a problem asswipe?" he snarled. He gave the group a feral grin as one of them puffed out his chest and stalked toward him.

Clay could hear a commotion as he and Pooch approached Dawson's gym. They had taken to frequenting the gym since it was near the hospital and gave them a much-needed outlet for their energy. He encouraged his men to stay in fighting form and often sparred with each of them. He had been hoping that Jensen had headed there and from the look of things he had and had found a way to vent his feelings. Now if he could just keep the kid out of jail. Clay sighed and waded into the fray, tossing men out of the way and trusting that Pooch had his back. Once he got to the center of the knot of men he found Jensen laying down some serious damage to a man who outweighed him by a good 50 pounds and topped him by a few inches. Jensen had swept the man's feet out from under him and had him in a Gracie Jujitsu hold that threatened to break his neck. The look of pure fury on the hacker's face told Clay just how far he had lost it. "Stand down soldier!" Clay bellowed at the top of his voice. The crowd froze and stepped away from the Colonel and his backup. They waited to see what would happen. Jake snarled, but released the man and scrambled to his feet. He went to parade rest and waited. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Corporal?"

"Sir! No excuses sir." He stared at a point on the wall not making eye contact with his CO. Blood seeped out of his split lip and one eye was swelling shut with what should prove to be a spectacular black eye.

Clay glanced at Pooch and motioned to the downed fighter. "Get him out of here. I'll deal with this." He turned to the group of men in the sparing ring. "Everyone else… out!" he ordered. He turned back to the hacker; not watching as the men in the ring rapidly vacated it. "You wanna fight? Go get gloves and get your ass into that ring, soldier!"

"Sir, yes sir." Jake scrambled to obey and climbed up. Clay didn't often pull rank but when he did they all knew they were about to get their ass kicked.

Clay stripped off his shirt and tossed it onto a chair by the ring. He accepted a pair of gloves from one of the trainers who rapidly backed off seeing the look in the Colonel's eyes. He climbed into the ring and glared at Jensen. He threw a punch that knocked the hacker flat on his ass. "Jensen... Getting yourself killed or picking up a 'girlfriend' named Bubba really isn't going to help Cougar, and you know it. So this is how it's going to go, soldier. You are going to be doing some CAPE for me. Are we clear?"

Jensen scrambled back to his feet. "Sir! Yes sir!"

"So you will give your shout before every attack. What have you learned from this, boy?"

"Sir! I will not try and kill civvies, without orders, no matter how big an asswipe they are!" He stepped in and launched a devastating combo on Clay. It would have flattened him if Clay had been there when they landed, but he spun out of the way and swept Jensen's feet out from under him. Once again Jake hit the mat and bounced back up. Clay stepped back into a defensive posture and waited. "Again!" he barked.

"Sir! I will constructively channel my aggression, in a manner acceptable to my commanding officer, when there is any chance that I will be caught!" He lashed out with a roundhouse kick that knocked Clay back against the rope. Clay growled and charged Jake, pushing him back until he had him cornered. Two hard blows to the solar plexus left Jensen gasping for breath. Clay backed away. "Again!"

Jensen panted for a moment and straightened gingerly. "Sir! I will constructively channel my aggression, in a manner acceptable to my commanding officer, and if he doesn't find it acceptable I will mop the floor with him... sir!" He lunged forward and hit Clay with a right hook to his jaw and another roundhouse to the gut. Clay shook his head to clear it. Jensen stepped in and grabbed him before he could recover then threw him over his shoulder to the mat. He grinned and stepped back, waiting for Clay to climb to his feet. He abruptly stopped grinning as he felt Clay hook his ankle and pull him off his feet. A moment later he was trapped in an iron grip with Clay's arm across his neck and his legs wrapped around his waist squeezing until Jensen was afraid a rib would give. He could feel himself starting to lose consciousness and his vision started to tunnel as Clay choked him out.

No matter how hard he struggled he couldn't break the grip around his neck so he tapped out.

Clay let him go and he lay still gasping for breath, his back resting against Clay's chest. Clay leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Feeling better?

Jensen looked up at him with a sheepish expression and shook his head slightly.

Clay climbed to his feet, reached a hand down and pulled Jensen to his feet. He shoved him toward the edge of the ring. "Go hit the showers and get your ass back out here."

"Yes sir." Jensen ducked his head and headed for the locker room, not looking anyone in the face.

Clay stalked over to where Pooch waited with the man Jake had been fighting. He stood over the man and growled. "You want to give me your side of the story?"

The man gulped and looked away. "I started it. He was crying and I thought it was funny. Didn't know about his kid almost dying. Sorry man."

Clay raised an eyebrow at Pooch before turning back, "Yeah, well next time you decided to poke a T-Rex with a stick you might want to think first. That man would have killed you if we hadn't gotten here in time." He studied the guy for a moment. "We good?"

"Yeah, no worries. I'll go apologize." He climbed to his feet and limped his way to the locker room.

L*L*L*L*L*L*

Jensen wrapped his hand around his coffee cup and took a sip. "Sorry Clay. No excuses sir." He bowed his head and waited for the hammer to drop.

Clay sighed. "Jake, you and Carlos have taken on a huge responsibility. I get that and I admire you both for it. But the thing you're not taking into account is that you're part of a team, son. You don't have to shoulder all this alone. I know I was against this in the beginning but it's a done deal and it's been good for Cougar to have this. It's… hell, it's healing what Bolivia broke, and I am all for that…" he paused to take a sip of his drink and grinned. "Seeing him with the cubs, it's like the old Cougar is coming back. Shit, he's even talking again." He laughed and gave Jensen a pointed look. "It's been good for you too. But, if you ever do anything this stupid again, I will personally kick your ass all the way back to Bosnia. Are we clear?"

Jensen nodded. "Crystal, boss." He paused to collect his thoughts. "I'm just afraid what will happen if she dies. Like you said, the old Cougar is coming back and I just can't watch him fall apart again. But I can't fix this and it's so fucking frustrating to just sit there and wait. I just got so damn… mad."

"And then the dickweed spouted off."

"Yes sir." he hung his head, ashamed of his lack of control.

"Ok, it's done, no harm no foul. Now if you're feeling better we better get back to the hospital. But!" He pointed a finger at Jensen. "You _will_ come talk to me before you fly off the handle again, and that is an order soldier."

"Yes, sir."

L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*L*

A/N – **CAPE** = Corrective Action: Physical Exercise. usually on-the-spot, and typically consists of punitive push-ups. sometimes accompanied by recitation of a lesson to be learned (such as doing sit-ups while repeating "I will not refer to [mustached CO] as 'Magnum'").

I am not in the medical profession therefore, please accept this for an attempt at drama/angst and forgive any errors in procedure etc.

A very big thankyou to DeckerM who refused to let me get away with a lazy synopsis instead of a proper chapter. If you liked this one, you can thank her. And To Alex for the idea for the final sparing session / CAPE, and once again Thank you to the incomparable Damaduende for making sure my Spanish is correct! You ladies rock. :D

"Madre de Dios. "Yo lastimé a mi hija? Yo hice esto?"~~ "Mother of God, I hurt my daughter? I did this?"

"Vivi mi niña querida. Por favor, te necesito," ~~ "Live my darling girl. Please, I need you."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: My profound apologies for the length of time since my last update. I will do my best to finish this story as soon as possible. Thank you for being so patient with me.

Ch. 6

_All around him mist ebbed and flowed shot through with the soft glowing colors of a south Texas sunset. Cougar smiled as he stood quietly watching Angel and Jacqueline play with something on the ground. Out of the swirling mist Jensen emerged and crouched down next to the children. He wrapped his arms around Jacqueline and stood, resting her on his hip while he took Angel by the hand. Jacqueline laid her head trustingly on Jake's shoulder and Angel gazed up at him with a joyous smile, their happiness a marked contrast to the sorrow in Jake's blue eyes. Turning away Jensen strode back into the mist, Angel trotting along beside him. Carlos frowned as they moved away and took a step forward only to be dragged to a halt as chains of barbed wire erupted from the ground and engulfed him, piercing his flesh. He writhed, twisting and turning in a desperate bid for freedom. He screamed Jake's name, but there was only silence. Cougar fought the chains trapping him, the barbs piercing his heart as the color was slowly leeched away, dripping down like his life's blood, fading faster the further Jake and the cubs receded into the mist. With every step they took away from him the blood flowed faster and his struggles grew weaker until at last, when they finally disappeared completely, he was left standing silent and helpless, alone in a sere and bleak landscape of soot and ash._

Jensen sat up as a low moan from the other bed woke him. He listened carefully for a moment not sure if Cougar was awake. The sniper rolled over restlessly and there was a strangled sob barely audible even to Jake's sharp ears. He quietly stood and crossed the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He reached out and gently rested his hand on Carlos' shoulder. "Cougs? Just a dream, you're safe," he whispered. "Cougs? You awake?" When Carlos didn't answer Jake quietly lay down next to him and ran a soothing hand along his upper back. He froze as Cougar rolled over and latched on to him like he was a rock in the middle of a maelstrom. He wrapped his arms around his friend without a second thought, holding tight as Cougar shivered in his grasp. Jake held his breath as Cougar buried his face in the crook of his neck, warm breath ghosting across his skin with each exhalation. "Cougs?"

The whisper was so soft that at first Jake thought he had imagined it. "Si?"

"You ok? You were having a nightmare?"

"Lo siento." Carlos attempted to roll away but Jensen stopped him with a gentle tug.

"Don't. There's no need." Jensen waited until he felt Cougar relax a fraction before he loosened his hold. "She will be ok," Jake said fiercely. "I really believe that, Carlos."

He thought Cougar might answer but then with a strangled moan his stoic friend lost all semblance of control and fell apart in his arms. Cougar's body shook violently as harsh sobs ripped from his throat. Jake held him tighter as tears and snot wet his shoulder and neck. Jake rocked slowly, not saying a word, just doing his best to be an anchor in the storm that Carlos couldn't hold at bay any longer. Strong hands clung desperately; clenched in Jensen's t-shirt as if by holding on Cougar could keep from being swept away in the tide of emotion.

Jake closed his eyes and waited with more patience than any of his team would have given him credit for as Carlos vented all the fear and frustration that had built up over the past few months. At last the storm subsided and the tears slowed and finally stopped, leaving Cougar spent and exhausted. Jake stirred and sat up enough to strip off his shirt. Wordlessly he handed it to Cougar to wipe the evidence of his breakdown away then he lay back down and curled around his friend protectively.

Cougar closed his eyes and rested in Jensen's loose embrace. His whole body felt like he had been beaten and his head ached, temples throbbing in rhythm with his racing heartbeat. Gratitude warred with his natural reticence, his instinct to never show vulnerability, to protect the tender underbelly, but Carlos knew gut deep that Jensen was the one person he could safely open up to.

A persistent buzzing in his ear woke Cougar from a sound sleep. He rolled over and slapped at the offending object until it shut up and then rolled back seeking the warm spot. He snuggled down under the blanket and rested his head on a surprisingly solid pillow. A faint sound echoed in his ear. Lub dub, lub dub. He frowned trying to place it, but drifted back to sleep before he could figure it out.

Jensen blinked sleepily as Carlos rolled back over and used his chest as a pillow. He shut his eyes to go back to sleep when a sudden thought occurred to him and he knew he wouldn't get back to sleep until he had chased it down. Easing his way out from under his sleeping teammate, he paused for a moment in speculation when Cougar made an unhappy sound as he rolled away. He shook his head and slipped out of bed, stopping only to grab his laptop as he snuck out of the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet snick.

Jensen snapped on the desk lamp and set his computer down. As it powered up he made some coffee and then settled in for the long haul. He had to make sure that there was no trace of him in the system and that took finesse and due diligence, all of which the military had honed with hours of training until now he was a ghost on the web, coming and going with impunity. He smiled thinly as he set up the hack. The CIA owed them, and today was payday.

**L***L*L*L*L*L

"Lo siento, did you say paid in full?" Cougar stared in bemusement at the clerk.

She doubled checked the computer and then smiled at him. "Yes sir, Mr. Alvarez. The bill has been paid. You owe us nothing."

"But…" he trailed off to gather his thoughts. "Does it say who paid it?"

The pretty blonde shook her head. "No sir. It shows that it was a wire transfer, but there is no name for the sender, just an account number. Hmm, that is a bit odd. Are you disputing the payment?" she asked.

Cougar laughed. "No ma'am. I was just curious. It's probably from my parents when I think about it. Mi madre is given to grand gestures, no matter how many times I tell her I am an adult and can pay my own way now."

She grinned and closed the window. "Well then, sir, you are good to go and congratulations on the birth of your twins."

He nodded his thanks and walked down the hall toward the nursery. When he got home he was going have to sit Jensen down and have a little talk with him.

*** L*L*L*L*L***

After visiting hours were over, Cougar left the hospital and climbed on his bike. Easing his way out into traffic he headed for home. As he rode he found himself thinking about Jake's latest escapade. At first it had seemed to be mostly harmless but the more he thought it over and really considered the consequences, the more he fumed. They were supposed to be lying low right now, flying under the radar as much as possible. Being stuck in one place for months put the whole team in more danger than they had been since Bolivia and now in one irresponsible, reckless act Jake had all but painted a bull's-eye on them. Yes, he was good at his job, even now, as irritated as he was with the hacker, Cougar acknowledged his partner's expertise, and Carlos was sure he had taken precautions to avoid detection but even a genius could make mistakes, and this time the consequences for getting caught were unacceptable. Once he reached the house he stomped inside and spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for Jensen and going over ways to minimize the danger.

That evening Cougar greeted Jensen at the door with a smoldering glare.

Jake's footsteps stuttered for a moment then resumed as he sauntered in and flopped down sideways in the recliner. Stretching out his long legs he grinned at his partner unrepentantly. "So how was your day, Cougs?" he asked. There was a certain set to Cougar's shoulders and Jake could tell he was pissed. Somehow he must have discovered Jensen's meddling. Jensen hadn't really thought that would piss him off but in the back of Cougar's eyes there was something else. It was something that Jake had become all too familiar with over the last few months, something that made his gut clench and the smug grin slide off his face… worry. Slowly he sat up and dropped his feet to the floor, the low thud the only out of place sound in the house. "What's wrong? Is Jac…," he sputtered to a halt as Cougar shook his head.

Cougar narrowed his eyes in frustration at his partner. "Look Jake, while I appreciate you paying off the bill, did you even stop to think about whether they could trace us?"

Jensen pulled back and narrowed his eyes at the accusation. "Fuck, Cougs. What the hell do you think I did? Send them our address? I do this for a fucking living so give me a _little_ credit! You remember that account that we found a few months ago that Max has set up in the Caymans? Yeah well, I laid the trail to that and then... well, let's just say _if _they even notice the money is missing; it will lead them straight to Max. Careful enough for you?" His mouth twisted in irritation at the thought of Cougar's apparent lack of faith in him.

Cougar held up a placating hand at the look of disdain Jensen shot him. "I know you're good but mierda, Jensen, it's just… there's just so much more at stake now!" He pinched the bridge of his nose as the headache he had been fighting roared to life and sent a spike of pain through his temples. "Just… don't get too cocky... por favor."

The look of desperation on Cougar's face made Jake throttle down the urge to snap out some snarky comeback and really consider what Cougar was saying. The last thing Jensen would ever want to do was put the cubs in danger and at the very least he had to be honest with himself and concede the fact that he was not infallible. He took a deep breath and looked up. "You're right. I'm sorry, I'll be more careful from here on." He smiled in relief as Carlos nodded and seemed to accept his apology.

Cougar wasn't the type to hold a grudge so as long as Jake held up his end of the bargain as far as he was concerned it was over. Now they just had to figure out what their next move was and to do that they needed to talk to the doctors and find out how soon the children would be released from the hospital. Jacqueline was improving and seemed to be mostly out of danger but both of them still needed to gain a bit of weight, so now it was just a waiting game.


End file.
